Eternal Service

by Regina Morris

  She reached for them. “I took this from Zmiya just before I killed him.” She inspected the writing on the tags. “It’s in Russian.”

  “We found them on the floor of the Jag. They told us quite a bit, thanks to Sterling’s ability.”

  Alex quoted from the documentation she had read about Sterling from the government files. “The more personal the object, the more information he can glean from it.”

  “Exactly. And these tags were very personal to Zmiya. We found out where he lived and uncovered quite an interesting laboratory of sinister intentions.”

  She handed the tags back to Raymond. “What do you mean?”

  “I investigated his bloodline. His family has no special abilities. Most bloodlines don’t, so it isn’t surprising. That’s why many purebred families arrange marriages and try to gain abilities for their future generations, as well as to secure their future financially. Zmiya’s family was unsuccessful in locating a woman from a prestigious family line willing to marry him, that’s why he went rogue. Since he was the only son, his father kept him as the heir of his family line. Zmiya was desperate to not only sire children with abilities, but he also wanted those abilities himself. He felt entitled to them, so he experimented with newly turned vampires by fusing their DNA with animal DNA and then impregnating them. He was filled with delusions of grandeur, and we discovered a sandbox filled with vampire ashes from his failed experiments. He forced dozens of humans to suffer at his hands by his experiments, and then he would turn them so they would have abilities. Sterling discovered a male vampire at the dinner who’s DNA must have been fused with an electric eel. He was probably a lab rat to Zmiya to see how the DNA would work.”

  “Sulie dealt with a pregnant female vampire who had amphibian DNA in her,” Alex said.

  “Yes. From what we’ve discovered, the DNA modifications are not viable. The vampires die shortly after turning. Sulie found several newly turned, pregnant vampires who were either dead or dying in Zmiya’s lair. We suspect he had access to a considerable amount of blood for these women to even conceive. Sulie put an end to their suffering and removed all the computers and notes on his experiments. She’ll probably spend the next several months reviewing them.”

  Alex rubbed her temple. “Good Lord. That’s so sinister. But why attack the Supreme Court?”

  “Zmiya wanted to control the Supreme Court in an effort to rule favorably towards environmental violations that he had perpetrated over several decades, which had included the importation of several exotic and rare species of animals and insects. He wanted to first control the Supreme Court, then the Senate and Congress to make rulings in court cases to pave the way for his unsafe medical experiments.”

  Alex shuddered. “All that just to muck with DNA and to torture people.”

  “Shh. Don’t worry about anything. The Supreme Court Justices are recovering; our team is home and we’re all safe.” He inched his body towards her to delicately hold her. “I love you Alex. I love you very much.”

  “I love you too.”

  Raymond kissed her gently. “Tell me. How did you kill Zmiya? The GPS on the Jag allowed us to go back to the warehouse district. There we found bloodstains, mine and his. He lost a considerable amount of blood, but there were no ashes around. It’s been windy the last couple of days, so they must have blown away. The huge blood stain is what tells us he must have died there, plus you had told Sterling you killed him. How did you do it?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “I had luck on my side.” She looked up at Raymond. “I was more concerned about you.” She glanced around the room once more, “You said a couple of days. How long have I …”

  “Just two days. Your body needed time to adjust, so I brought you to my room. I hope that is all right.”

  Her smile widened across her face. “Your room?”

  He moved a pillow to the head of the bed and lay down with her. “You had several broken bones, including some cracked ribs when the team found you. Plus you had a lot of blood loss. Sterling told me he took care of you.”

  She took a deep breath. “Yes. He gave me his blood and … took care of everything.” She moved her tongue over her teeth, but did not feel any fangs. Her stomach growled in protest and she realized how hungry she was. Shouldn’t her fangs be out if she was ready to eat? Maybe there was a trick to get them to pop out. Of course, the idea of eating blood didn’t sound too appealing. What she really wanted was a cheeseburger with all the greasy French fries, but she knew that was in her past. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for her new diet.

  “You’re worried about something, Alex. Tell me,” he said, turning his body to look her more directly.

  She had never been fond of needles, but the idea of drinking someone’s blood … as hungry as she was, that didn’t sound very tasty. She looked into Raymond’s eyes. “I’m hungry.”

  He smiled back at her. “I thought you might be. That’s why I came upstairs to wake you. Sulie has something downstairs for you.”

  Something? Or someone? she thought. “For a first feeding I think I’d rather not have an audience.”

  He gave her a puzzled look. “First feeding?”

  She now felt embarrassed, and she wasn’t sure why. It was called a feeding. Maybe she wasn’t saying it right.

  Raymond’s expression turned grim. His jaw clenched, and he grabbed her by the shoulders sternly. “What did Zmiya try to do to you? Did he try to turn you?”

  Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped open by the sudden concern. “No. Your son did.”

  His grasp on her loosened. “My son?” he asked. “Sterling tried to turn you?”

  She looked down at her arm where the injection took place. “I must have been dying. He injected his blood into me.”

  Raymond reached for her arm and stroked it gently. “No, honey. Sterling injected his blood into you to make you stronger – so you could heal quicker. His mother was human, so his blood isn’t strong enough to turn a human.”

  Alex took a deep breath; a blush came over her face. “I thought … I mean … it was vampire blood, and all.” She shook her head, “I didn’t realize half–breeds,” she paused, “… vampires with mixed parentage could not turn humans. I thought he turned me.” Her face grew red with embarrassment.

  Raymond held her closely in his arms. “No, Alex. You’re still human. Still a mortal. Still the same woman I fell in love with.”

  “The information I read about turning did not mention anything about Sterling’s blood healing humans.”

  Raymond paused a moment before continuing. “If your child were able to cure humans, would you tell the government and risk him being bled dry?”

  Alex swallowed hard. “Of course not.”

  “There are certain secrets we keep from the government. All to protect ourselves, not for anything violent.”

  “I understand,” Alex said. “And it explains why Daniel is listed as having two sires. I’m guessing Sterling tried to turn him but failed.”

  Raymond bit his lip, and then let out a slight sigh. “Daniel was a young man, about twenty–five years of age. He attacked Sterling and nearly killed him with several gunshots directly through his heart.”

  Alex’s eyes widened. “That’s terrible.”

  “Sterling fought back, and Daniel bit him in the process. The fight couldn’t have lasted long, and Daniel was drained dry as Sterling fed on him.”

  She covered Raymond’s hand with hers and caressed. “Sterling was dying. He had no choice.”

  “Well, because Daniel bit him, he had some of Sterling’s blood in his mouth. He wasn’t killed in the attack, but he also wasn’t healed afterward either. Daniel was left in a coma, with very little options. He could have lived the extent of his life in the coma, we could have released him from this life, or I could turn him.”

  “Sounds like you opted for the best choice.”

  “Daniel did not have a choice in the matter. I thought it was best, so I did what I had to
do.”

  Alex nodded in agreement. “Why did Daniel attack him?”

  Raymond’s face reddened. “Sterling was having sex with Daniel’s teenage sister. He walked in on them and surprised Sterling.”

  Her chin hit the floor. “OMG!”

  “I lied on the report and said I was with Sterling at the time. For years after the turning, I was worried that Daniel, as a full vampire, would seek retaliation against Sterling, but none came. Daniel adjusted well into our culture.”

  “So Daniel just woke up and discovered he was a vampire,” Alex said softly. Her eyes looked away from Raymond and focused on the spot on her arm where the blood had been injected.

  Raymond studied her while she was deep in thought. “Alex?” he asked.

  “Yes?”

  “You’re disappointed.” He touched her face and read her thoughts. “You thought you had been turned, and you’re disappointed that you’re not.” His eyes widened as he spoke. “Do you want to be turned?”

  Alex felt her heart skip a beat. Another woman, in the same situation, once told her to listen to her heart, not her head. Alex looked into Raymond’s beautiful, teal eyes. She knew the answer. She knew what her heart wanted.

  *******

  Raymond was thrilled that Alex wanted to be a vampire. Alex had agreed to be turned immediately, but Sulie insisted she needed one more week of rest. It was a big decision, and Raymond was grateful that his sister gave him a buffer of a couple of days.

  He walked up the stairs to the room he shared with Alex in the mansion. Halfway up the second staircase he heard an all too familiar ring tone from his phone. A text had come in. He refused to look at it. There was something he needed to do first.

  Even though the bedroom was also his, he knocked before entering. “Honey? You here?” He looked around, but the room was empty. The sound of the shower turning off told him where she was.

  His phone chirped telling him he had a text. Again he ignored it. He knew who it was, and didn’t want, or need, their answer for his decision. This was about him, his happiness, and a life he craved with Alex.

  He gently knocked on the door before opening it. The moist, hot steam from the shower had filled the tiny room, making it warm and inviting. Alex’s skin was slightly pink from the heat of the hot water and her hair drenched. Noticing that he had entered the room, she reached for the fluffy brown towel that hung on the rack beside the shower. She tantalized him by using it to dry her hair, leaving her body naked for him to view. “Were you looking for me?” she asked, her lips plump and pouty, her eyes seductively sexy.

  He removed his suit jacket and tossed it to the ground. It landed with a weighty thump. “All my life,” he replied. He began to unbutton his shirt when Alex started to dry herself. She leaned over and dried her feet with the towel. Quickly he closed the gap between the two.

  She laughed as he picked her up and moved her over to the bed. Her wet body dripped cooling shower water onto the sheets and especially to her pillow where her head was lying.

  “Alex,” he began. “I’ll turn you either way. I promise.” His blackened eyes took in her beauty. “Make me the happiest man alive. Marry me.”

  The smile was quick upon her face. Her reply almost deafening to his ears. “Yes! Oh, yes!”

  Raymond kissed her repeatedly until he realized that with the removal of his jacket, he had left the ring in the bathroom in the front pocket. “One second,” he said as he ran back to the bathroom. In his rush to retrieve the ring, his phone slipped out and hit the ground. He picked it up and glanced at the text. It was the Vampire Council. The text only had one word, “Yes.”

  He ran back to the bed to put the ring on her finger.

  CHAPTER FIFTY–FOUR

  Raymond and Alex walked down the hallway of the White House to Brandon’s new office. It had been two months since their wedding. Dixon was still on the team in an advisory role, but the new director, Brandon, was catching on quickly to his new duties.

  Raymond opened the door and allowed Alex to enter the office first. They found Brandon busy on his computer, but he was expecting them.

  “Hey you two. Come on in,” he said taking a good look at Alex. “How was the honeymoon?”

  “It was very nice,” Raymond said.

  Alex blushed slightly and gave a hint of a smile. The tips of her fangs were slightly noticeable.

  Brandon’s eyebrow lifted, obviously noticing. “You look good, Alex. Married life certainly suits you.” He swiveled his chair and moved over to the printer. He snatched the printout and handed it to Raymond. “Since Alex has decided to remain in her former position and live out her first life; I have created a new alias for you, Raymond. Your ages now match. That sheet is a summary of your background.”

  “Thanks, Brandon,” Raymond said as he glanced at the paperwork. His hair had a touch of gray and his eyes looked more aged in preparation for this transition.

  Unlocking his desk drawer, Brandon pulled out a large envelope. “These are your birth certificate, passport, Secret Service badge and the other usual things. We can go over it if you want.”

  Raymond accepted the envelope. “Unless you need to review it, I’m fine. I’ve gone through this dozens of times.” He glanced down at the last name. “Soloman?”

  “Human resources. Diversification being a good thing and all,” Brandon quipped back.

  “Mazel Tov,” Alex said giggling.

  A knock sounded on the door, and Brandon walked across the room to see who was there.

  “Hey Brandon,” Matt said, poking his head in. “I wanted to see if you were free for lunch today.”

  “Lunch would be nice, buddy,” Brandon replied, not introducing the couple in his office.

  Matt leaned in and whispered, “Hey, I heard of some additional information about those police reports I told you about.”

  “Which ones?” Brandon whispered back.

  “The ones where an entire Metroline train of passengers swears they saw a vampire attack a woman. A new witness has come forward. This one says he got the entire incident on his cell phone.”

  “You don’t say. Maybe during lunch we should head over and talk to the witness,” Brandon said as he patted Matt on the shoulder. “I’ll swing by your desk in a few hours and we’ll head out.”

  “Great. See you then,” Matt said as he left the office.

  Brandon closed the door and turned to Raymond. “That guy’s going to be a problem. You free for lunch?”

  THE END

  About the Author

  Dear Readers,

  I hope you enjoyed reading my novel, Eternal Service (Book One of the Colony Series).

  Please visit my website (http://www.reginamorris.com) for more information about the other novels in the Colony Series. Feel free to contact me through my website, through my social media sites (see my website for the list) or by email at regina@reginamorris.com.

  I live in Austin, Texas with my husband and two children. I graduated high school in Germany and I attended the University of Texas at Austin where I received a degree in Computer Science with a minor in math. After enjoying a career in software engineering, I discovered that writing is in my blood, and had to put pen to paper!

  The opinions I express in my novels are my own. My stories are my own intellectual property. Copyright (c) 2012, Regina Morris

  Sincerely,

  Regina Morris

  Other Books in the Colony Series by Regina Morris

  Vampires exist among us. They can be our neighbor, best friend, our child's teacher …

  They alter their aged appearance based upon the amount of blood they consume. They move to a new area, drink a lot of blood, and appear young. Slowly they limit their intake of blood and age, right in front of our unsuspecting eyes. After decades, they fake their death, move, and do it over and over again.

  Most live quiet lives in an effort to blend in.

  Some however want power and control.

  The Colony is
an elite group of vampires sworn to protect the President of the United States from these rogue vampires.

  Eternal Service (Book #1)

  When Raymond, part of a covert special ops team of vampires who protects the President of the United States, teams up with a federal operative of the human female persuasion—who has no idea that vampires even exist—will his mission or his heart be compromised first?

  Career military woman, Alex Brennan, is being offered the promotion of a lifetime – and with it a romance that she has desperately been seeking. Does she dare accept the position as Director of the Colony, an elite group of deadly creatures of the night and risk a dangerous romance with a man who isn't even human?

  United Service (Book #2)

  Available Fall of 2013

  Sterling, a half–breed vampire who works with a covert team of vampires to protect the President of the United States, is the weakest link in the chain for his team, and he knows it.

  Having the special ability to glean information from inanimate objects, he spends most of his time in the FBI evidence room suffering from painful side–effects of his ability. His current case involves the kidnapping of vampire children. He teams up with a purebred vampire, Kate, who is the nanny of one of the kids, to rescue the kidnapped children. Would Kate ever consider a relationship with a half–breed who is constantly in pain? Insecure in his own ability to woo the lovely Kate, Sterling travels across the country on a journey of self–discovery where he realizes he is a person of value, truly deserving of love, forgiveness and happiness.

  Kate has led a sheltered life and is considered handicapped by vampire standards since, like Sterling, her vampire ability has horrific side effects. She creates a symbiotic relationship with Sterling, who helps her to discover that she is able to have a normal life, with all the joys and sorrows that it brings.